Bauer Radio is changing the service it pumps out on the FM channel it controls in the West Midlands, so that from September people tuning in will hear Absolute Radio rather than sister station Planet Rock.

The frequency was originally used by another Bauer radio brand – Kerrang! Radio – but was switched to Planet Rock after the media firm acquired the previously digital-only station in February 2013. Bauer then went on to buy Absolute in July the same year.

Absolute has only ever been available on FM in London, being an AM and DAB service across the rest of the UK. Bauer is now capitalising on a recent relaxation of station format rules instigated by media regulator OfCom to use the Midlands FM frequency for Absolute.

According to Radio Today, since Bauer switched the Midlands channel from Kerrang! to Planet Rock it has lost about a third of its audience, so the media group will be hoping that Absolute will win some of those lost listeners back.

While the majority of programmes airing on Absolute in the Midlands will come from the London-based service, there will be some local programmes and coverage of local football teams. Ads will also differ to allow regional advertisers to appear.

Confirming the switch, Bauer’s Group MD for National Radio Steve Parkinson told reporters: “As well as offering more choice to radio listeners in the West Midlands, this will unlock fantastic opportunities for Absolute Radio and Bauer as a whole, allowing us to drive market share and increased commercial revenues”.

It’s thought that Absolute has become a priority service for Bauer, and the firm may well be looking to ramp up the brand amidst rumours rival Global Radio is planning to move Xfm more into Absolute territory with a Chris Moyles-led revamp later this year.

Planet Rock – like Kerrang! Radio – will continue to air online and digitally.

I don’t know if, in the Spotify age, radio stations need to run shows where they play whole albums in full anymore, though I suppose there’s some of that all important ‘curation’ going on when said stations choose which albums to play, plus when Planet Rock does it over the next few weeks the artists behind the LPs will provide a little introduction.

The now Bauer-owned rock station, available digitally across the UK and on FM in the Midlands, will air ‘Planet Rock Plays It In Full’ every Monday night at 11pm from tonight. Over the next few weeks Jimmy Page will revisit Led Zeppelin’s ‘Led Zeppelin IV’, Meatloaf will chat about ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ and, tonight, Roger Waters talks about Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’.

And the rock station promises that there’ll be no ads, jingles or other interruptions once the featured album starts playing.

Planet Rock has rejigged its evening schedule, a move which will see a number of the rock station’s weekend shows get midweek repeats.

Amongst the weekly programmes to get a second airing will be Al Murray’s Sunday morning show and Joe Elliott’s Saturday evening slot, both on a Tuesday; the new ‘Mojo Rocks’ programme fronted by Mojo Editor In Chief Phil Alexander on a Wednesday; and Bernard Doherty’s ‘Listomania’ and ‘My Planet Rocks’ on a Thursday.

Despite the increase in repeats in the station’s schedule, two new shows will be launched on Friday night in the form of ‘Friday Night Officially Rocks’ with Alex Baker and ‘Metal At Midnight’ with Johnny Doom.

The rejigs follow the acquisition of the rock radio service by Bauer Media earlier this year, and the launch of the digital station on FM in the Midlands last month. Nicky Horne, who previously filled the evening slot on Planet Rock, is jumping to new rival station TeamRock Radio.

Bauer Media has rejigged its rock music brands, giving Mojo a weekly radio show on its recently acquired Planet Rock station, realigning its Kerrang! radio service to be more targeted at the younger demographic who read the magazine, and handing its West Midlands FM frequency to Planet Rock rather than Kerrang!

The rejig steps up the profile of Planet Rock, the previously digital-only rock station that was bought by Bauer in February. The station will now have an FM outpost in the Midlands, and a formal alliance with Mojo, with a weekly show presented by the magazine’s Editor In Chief Phil Alexander.

The changes also mean that the distinction between the Planet Rock and Kerrang! brands is clearer – some did wonder why Bauer would want to own two radio services that basically compete when the Planet Rock deal was completed earlier in the year. But Bauer clearly see Planet Rock as a rock brand for an older audience, in sync with the MOJO readership, whereas Kerrang! – on air and in print – is for younger rock fans (who presumably don’t even know what an FM radio is).

Confirming the rejigs, Steve Parkinson, MD of Bauer Radio London, told CMU: “We are very excited about the opportunities offered through greater synergy of our three national rock brands – Kerrang!, Mojo and Planet Rock. Each brand has massive potential to grow and cross-promote through its own particular passion for the genre of rock music”.

He continued: “We believe listeners will be excited about the enhancements we have planned for these much-loved brands. At the same time there will be increased opportunities for commercial partners to engage right across the UK’s community of rock music fans across key platforms of radio, print, TV, online and events”.

As digital station Planet Rock moved into the London HQ of its new parent company Bauer Media yesterday, a few new executive appointments were made at the rock service.

Most notably, the station’s long-time Programme Director Trevor White departed, with Planet Rock’s Senior Producer Liz Barnes taking over day-to-day scheduling in a new role as Programme Manager, and Bauer’s Music And Content Director Ric Blaxill becoming ultimately responsible for programming on the digital service moving forward.

While there is no sign as yet that Bauer might merge Planet Rock with its existing rock radio channel Kerrang! Radio, Blaxill isn’t the only existing Bauer exec who will have influence over the new acquisition. The media firm’s Alex Baker, currently Commercial Programming Manager for Kerrang!, will become Head Of Commercial Programming for both rock stations.

Confirming Planet Rock would fall under Blaxill’s remit, Bauer Radio MD Steve Parkinson told CMU: “Ric is a passionate programmer with extensive rock credentials who really cares about music and the radio industry. He is a chair of The Ivor Novello songwriting awards, strums a mean bass and has even played for Iron Maiden’s football team. With such great all-round experience, we are confident that he will continue to increase the success and popularity of Planet Rock by providing quality music and the best possible listening experience for rock music fans”.

Meanwhile on the departing White he added: “We’d like to put on record our thanks to Trevor for all his hard work in turning Planet Rock into the successful digital station it is today”.

Bauer Media has bought digital radio station Planet Rock in a deal reportedly worth £1-2 million.

As previously reported, Planet Rock’s current owner Malcolm Bluemel put the digital rock station on the market last September, with reports he was close to a deal with magazine publisher and TV/radio service operator Bauer circulating earlier this month.

Bluemel saved Planet Rock back in 2008 when what was then GCap Media started to shut down its digital-only services. If the new deal is worth £1-2 million, the entrepreneur will have taken a hit on his radio venture, with insiders saying he was hoping for a deal closer to £3 million to recoup his investment into the media company.

Bauer already operates a rock station, on digital and in the Midlands on FM, under its Kerrang! brand, and is also said to be bidding for another rock radio station, Absolute. Quite what the media firm has planned isn’t clear, though most expect some kind of consolidation of brands over its various rock-based frequencies. Moving forward Planet Rock will be headed up by Bauer Radio’s London MD Steve Parkinson.

Confirming the acquisition, Bauer Media UK CEO Paul Keenan told CMU: “Radio is in growth in the UK and Planet Rock, through its passion for great music, offers listeners and commercial partners an engaging and relevant experience. Our media, along with the music industry, are seeing a real resurgence in guitar-based music, which makes this acquisition an exciting and timely addition to our portfolio of national radio brands and music magazines. Planet Rock has built an excellent reputation with listeners and the music industry. We are looking forward to the station becoming part of our global media company where we can offer significant resources across multiple brands and platforms to take it to even greater heights”.

Bluemel added: “Planet Rock is going to a great home. Bauer is a business that really cares about building brands and music radio in particular. The station is in safe hands with the new owners and I’m looking forward to following its success going forward”.

The Guardian speculates that if Bauer, which already operates radio stations like Kiss and Magic, were to acquire both Absolute and Planet Rock, it might combine the services, possibly utilising the latter’s brand. Though quite how that would fit in with Bauer’s existing rock radio service, which operates under its Kerrang! brand (on FM in the Midlands and digital elsewhere), isn’t clear.

It was thought that Absolute’s current owner, TIML Radio, was only talking to one possible bidder for its loss-making national music station last month – a consortium led by John Pearson, who ran the station in its previous incarnation as Virgin Radio – though it’s possible negotiations have since been opened up with other interested parties.

Meanwhile, word has it some other interested bidders have been in negotiations with Bluemel about Planet Rock, including TalkSport owners UTV Radio. He previously said that he would only sell the also loss-making radio company to a buyer that could guarantee the station’s future.

Digital rock station Planet Rock is reportedly up for sale. According to The Guardian, current owner Malcolm Bluemel, who acquired the station from what was then GCap Media in 2008, is already sounding out possible buyers.

Bluemel has invested £3 million of his own money into the venture since 2008, and the company is still making losses of up to £300,000 a year, despite having a RAJAR of about a million listeners, as the UK digital radio market continues to develop at a slow pace.

The Planet Rock chief also recently hit out at those listeners who criticised the station’s launch of a subscription-based premium online service, a bid to create a second revenue stream, adding: “I am not a fat cat. If I was I would have kept my money in my pocket, stayed at home with my wife and children and been £3 million better off”.

Speaking to The Guardian about the proposed sale, Bluemel said: “Digital radio has come of age and Planet Rock is at the forefront of that. I have put four and a half years of my life into this and £3 million of my own money. Some people might say that I was lucky to have it in the first place, but I am not going to walk away from that lightly”.

The boss of digital rock station Planet Rock has hit out at critics of his company’s recently announced premiere subscription service, which will given listeners who pay a monthly subscription fee to access extra content online. The radio company was pretty honest when launching the Planet Rock VIP Club that it needed to find new revenue options to secure its future.

A number of listeners to the station have seemingly complained about the new scheme via the Planet Rock website, leading to Malcolm Bluemel, the man who led a consortium to buy the station when then owners GCap threatened to shut it down in 2008, to respond.

In an open letter, he wrote: “For the last four years I have worked my backside off to keep this station going. It has, during that time, cost me personally £1,000 a day (yes, I have spent every penny I’ve worked all my life for), to get up at 5.45 in the morning and travel to London, to agonise over playlists and deal with all the compliance and contractual issues that go with running a small business these days”.

He continued: “I’m told that we have a passionate audience who love the station, but as soon as I try anything to ease the tremendous losses, I get abused by a minority of that said audience. NOBODY HAS TO JOIN THE CLUB, YOU STILL GET PLANET ROCK FREE 24 HOURS A DAY. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? I have invested thousands of pounds in getting you the additional content which you can purchase or not as you choose, there is no obligation”.

Concluding he wrote: “I am not a fat cat. If I was I would have kept my money in my pocket, stayed at home with my wife and children and been three million pounds better off. The team at Planet Rock remain dedicated to providing our listeners the highest quality service possible both on and off air and will continue to do so”.

Digital rock station Planet Rock is launching a new premium content service that will offer listeners extra audio and video content, including special shows and sessions, for £4.99 a month. Members of the Planet Rock VIP club will also have access to offers and competitions, and be given a chance to influence the station’s playlist.

The digital radio firm is being pretty upfront that the VIP club initiative is a bid to develop new revenue streams for the station beyond traditional on-air advertising and sponsorship. Station boss Malcolm Bluemel told CMU: “The world is changing and Planet Rock has to change with it. We are asking our family of listeners to help us make that change and secure the future of their favourite radio station”.

Independent digital radio station Planet Rock has announced that its MD, Jonathan Arendt, is leaving the company to set up a new digital firm with G Media co-founder Ricki Lee. The new company, called 7West, will offer digital products to the radio sector. Meanwhile, at Planet Rock, the station’s owner and Chairman, Malcolm Bluemel, will resume in the role of CEO.

Confirming his departure, Arendt told CMU: “The last eighteen months have been brilliant, working with truly talented people and great rock music – what could have been better? Malcolm has big plans for the station and I know it will go from strength to strength”.

Bluemel added: “Jonathan will be missed at Planet Rock. He has driven audience and revenue to record levels and overseen a complete re-image of the station. I wish him well and look forward to working with 7West in the future”.

Digital rock station Planet Rock has announced a new recruit for its breakfast show in the form of Paul Anthony, who most recently worked for rival rock station Rock Radio, recently rebranded Real Radio XS by owners GMG Radio of course. Prior to that Anthony worked for two decades in local commercial radio, possibly most notably for Signal Radio in Staffordshire.

Confirming that Anthony will take over Planet Rock breakfast on 3 Jan, the station’s Programme Director Trevor White told reporters: “Paul is a great fit for us – he is exactly the talent we’ve been looking for and he is ready to take breakfast to its rightful place at Planet Rock. He brings an encyclopaedic knowledge of rock, unbridled enthusiasm and a contact book that reads like a who’s who of rock music”.

Anthony himself added: “For me this is like winning the lottery. If you are a rock fan, Planet Rock is the only place to be – and for once the timing was right for both of us. I am really looking forward to waking up the entire UK with the best music in the world. It doesn’t get much better than that”.

Digital radio station Planet Rock teamed up with Jaguar this summer to survey its listeners about their favourite tracks for in-car listening, and while the resulting top ten does read a bit like every service station compilation album, the station’s listeners have been good enough to pick a number one that none of you would probably have predicted. Here’s the top ten…

The tie-up between the car maker and the radio station was to recognise that all models in the Jaguar XF range now come with a DAB digital radio in built, allowing drivers to listen to the digital-only rock station. And, as it happens, we are reporting on the survey the day after Digital Radio UK revealed that a fifth of new cars now come with DAB radios, compared to one in twenty a year ago.

Glenn Hughes, frontman of rock outfit Black Country Communion, though possibly best known for his stint fronting Deep Purple in the mid-seventies, has joined digital rock station Planet Rock. He will take over the Sunday teatime slot previously fronted by The Quo’s Francis Rossi.

Says Planet Rock Programme Director Trevor White: “Glenn continues Planet Rock’s tradition of bringing rock’s biggest names to the airwaves, after a career spanning 40 years he brings a wealth of stories from his life on the road, in the studio, his friendships with the likes of Keith Moon and Bonzo, the highs, the lows, and, of course, the excesses, and his choice of music makes the show a must listen”.

Glenn himself added: “I would like to thank Planet Rock for giving me the opportunity to share with listeners the songs that have shaped my life. Every song is chosen by me, and there will rock n roll stories along the away. I am a messenger”.

Digital radio station Planet Rock had a bit of a relaunch this morning alongside the launch of its new breakfast show, fronted by that Lucio fella. Among the innovations are a new logo, website, online player and iPhone app, plus a new VIP club, for very important people presumably.

The station’s MD Jonathan Arendt told CMU: “The new imagery entirely reflects Planet Rock’s broad range of classic and contemporary rock tracks. The new site will deliver listeners a vastly improved experience and bring a more integrated and flexible platform to our commercial partners”.

You might think I just sit down of a morning and write this shit off the top of my head, but no, I do research.

And what I discovered is that my mum and dad don’t dig Chris Evans in the morning, but returned to Radio 2 recently when Richard Madeley filled in on the BBC station’s breakfast show. Whereas the noisy women on my train back from Manchester the other week didn’t like Richard, and prefer it when Evans is on air. There were three of them, whereas my mum and dad number two, so Evans attracts more listeners than he loses as host of the Radio 2 breakfast show. Here ends my in-depth analysis of British radio listening.

Though I do have to admit that my findings do not concur with that other in-depth analysis of British radio listening, the all important RAJAR listening figures, which arguably aren’t all that much more reliable than my approach to research, but which have a lot more credibility in the broadcasting industry. Because, according to the latest set of RAJAR figures, released today, Evans puts off as many listeners as he attracts.

That is to say, for each of the 1.5 million new listeners Evans brought in when he took over Radio 2 breakfast earlier this year, he’s caused an existing Radio 2 breakfast listener to turn off. So whereas Evans initially took the Radio 2 breakfast audience to record levels at the start of the year, he now has more or less the same number of listeners that his predecessor Terry Wogan had this time last year (actually, slightly less). Still, at 8.14 million listeners, he still has by far the biggest radio audience in the UK. Chris Moyles lags behind on 7.1 million, a figure down over half a million on the previous quarter but up slightly year on year.

Radio 2 remains the UK’s most popular radio station overall, with a weekly reach of over 13.5 million, while Radio 1, in second place, reaches just over 11.5 million. Over in commercial radio, TalkSport had a very good quarter with audience up 19.6% year on year to 2.96 million. Absolute Radio also saw audience growth, by 4.2% year on year, to 1.65 million. But the biggest commercial station remains Classic FM which, while seeing a slight drop in weekly audience, is still pulling in 5.68 million listeners a week.

Digital radio listening grew again, albeit slightly, in the last quarter, with 24.8% of all radio listening being done via a digital platform, up from 24.6% in the last quarter and 21.1% this time last year. That said, the growth was really in the number of people listening to radio through their telly (which counts as a digital platform), listening via the DAB digital network and via the internet were both down.

In the digital domain, it was another good RAJAR report for 6music which, thanks to being very nearly shut down earlier this year, now has almost twice as many listeners compared to this time last year, at 1.12 million. On the commercial side of digital, Planet Rock saw its audience rise 10.5% year on year to its highest ever level of 783,000.

Digital rock station Planet Rock, once owned by Global Radio predecessor GCap but now an independent concern, has announced the appointment of a new MD in the form of Jonathan Arendt, co-founder of radio research company Hallett Arendt, who has previously been a director of LBC, Xfm and NME Radio.

Confirming the appointment, Planet Rock CEO Malcolm Bluemel told reporters: “This is a really exciting time for Planet Rock. With digital radio coming of age it’s important that the UK’s foremost digital station has the team it needs to take best advantage of the inexorable move to digital. Jonathan comes to us with invaluable experience in radio at the highest level and we are very fortunate that he has joined us”.

Arendt himself added: “This is a unique opportunity to join a station that has led the way in digital. Planet Rock’s growth continues with listening up by 45 per cent over the last year. I am really looking forward to working with Malcolm and his exceptional team in continuing to take the station forward in both audience and commercial terms”.